There is a growing need for electronic devices implantable in the human or animal body, for example, to implement electric or optical stimulations of internal organs of the human or animal body. Such devices may particularly comprise electronic circuits integrating non-biocompatible materials. In this case, the device may comprise a biocompatible enclosure or package hermetically encapsulating the non-biocompatible components. The hermeticity of the package particularly enables to avoid for physiologic fluid to come into contact with the non-biocompatible components of the device, which might cause an intoxication of the patient. The hermeticity of the package further enables to limit risks of corrosion of the device components.
To improve the patient's security, it would be desirable to be able to detect in-situ, that is, without having to remove the device from the patient's body, a possible leak in a sealed enclosure of an implantable medical device.
Various methods have been provided to detect a leak in a sealed package. Such methods are however relatively complex and, for some of them, can only be implemented outside of the patient's body. Further, known methods are poorly adapted to the detection of leaks in small enclosures, for example, having a volume smaller than 10 mm3, which may be encountered in the field of implantable medical devices.